This is a very special book. I knew I was going to enjoy it entirely based on the premise but I really had the best time with it.
The characters are all incredible and so fleshed out, even secondary and tertiary characters felt like they had depth. And that worked so well with this book because we got to see those very personal and divisive conversations about different gender experiences and how people see eachother. For me, the conversation around gender was far more interesting that the horror.
But that said, the horror was amazing! The dystopian world was terrifying and the body horror was incredible.
I cant wait to read more from Andrew Joseph White

ENGLISH

Okay, so. A group of trans and other queer kids living in a post-apocalyptic world trying to survive and fight an extremist religious group while one of them kids is supposedly their Messiah or something. Oh, and there is a disease that turns people into monsters. So yeah, it is a 10/10.

I mean, anything with queer people is a win for me, ngl. But this book… I just… WOW. I was not expecting this. In fact, I finished last night, and I am still thinking about so many things.

My favourite part if the dilemmas and the allegories of the ML. Benji is a trans kid who scapes his very religious family/society because they have put some of that disease to make him their “saviour”. So he is set to become a literal monster. For me, the monster he sees, the one he will unavoidably become, is an allegory for several things: the religious trauma he carries, the rage from their abuse and the dysphoria he feels… I don't think it is related to him being trans, since there are more trans people in the book who are not infected nor become monsters. Still, I'm very into the theory of “people who do not follow the social norms are considered by the norm as monsters”. And I really enjoy books that have an approach to that idea and instead of trying to fit in, their characters embrace their identity away from the socially acceptable. Honestly? It could very easily become a classic.

I cried, too. It is not an easy story, there are many traumas, violence, abuse… It is not an easy world either, but is this one easy? The situation is very different from real life because of the disease and the monsters, but it is not that far away. It is a fair portrayal of a world during a war, the trauma it creates on everybody, the loses we carry, the pain, the rage, the politics of it all…

HOWEVER, there is love in it all. The family they create, all the queer kids no only trying to survive, but living, loving, and searching for freedom and happiness. It hits different. A context as cumbersome as this one, needed this found family storyline.

As a future academic and translator, I really want to work with this book, specially its translation. Pronouns are very important in this story, and they are very different in Spanish. Loved it in many ways.

Will I read more of this author? Yes.

It is a very violent book, very explicit with the gore and other more verbal violence, so please check the trigger warnings. Still, no only I do recommend it, but I need you to read it because I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT.

SPANISH

Un grupo de chicos trans y otros queer que viven en un mundo post-apocalíptico tratando de sobrevivir y luchar contra un grupo religioso extremista, mientras que uno de ellos es supuestamente su Mesías o algo así.
Ah, y hay una enfermedad que convierte a la gente en monstruos. Así que sí, es un 10/10.

Quiero decir, cualquier cosa con gente queer me gana, no lo voy a negar. Pero este libro ... Es tan ... WOW. No me lo esperaba. De hecho, lo terminé anoche y todavía estoy pensando en muchas cosas.

Mi parte favorita son los dilemas y las alegorías alrededor del protagonista. Benji es un chico trans que escapa de su muy religiosa familia/sociedad porque le han inyectado parte de esa enfermedad para convertirlo en su «salvador». Así que se ve obligado a convertirse en un monstruo de forma literal. Para mí, el monstruo que ve, en el que se convertirá inevitablemente, es una alegoría de varias cosas: el trauma religioso que arrastra, la rabia por sus abusos y la disforia que siente... No creo que esté relacionado con que sea trans, ya que hay más personas trans en el libro que no se infectan ni se convierten en monstruos. Aun así, me gusta mucho la teoría de «las personas que no siguen las normas sociales son consideradas como monstruos». Y me gustan mucho los libros que tienen un acercamiento a esa idea y en vez de intentar encajar, sus personajes abrazan su identidad alejada de lo socialmente aceptable. ¿Sinceramente? Podría convertirse en un clásico sin problemas.

También he llorado. No es una historia fácil, hay muchos traumas, violencia, abusos... Tampoco es un mundo fácil, pero ¿es éste fácil? La situación es muy diferente de la vida real por la enfermedad y los monstruos, pero no está tan alejada. Es un retrato bastante fiel de un mundo en plena guerra, del trauma que supone para todos, de las pérdidas que arrastramos, del dolor, de la rabia, de la política...

SIN EMBARGO, hay amor más allá de todo eso. La familia que crean, todos los niños queer que no sólo intentan sobrevivir, sino que viven, aman y buscan la libertad y la felicidad. Impacta de otra manera. Un contexto tan engorroso como éste, necesitaba este argumento de familia encontrada.

Como futura académica y traductora, tengo muchas ganas de trabajar con este libro, especialmente estudiar su traducción. Los pronombres son muy importantes en esta historia, pero son muy diferentes en español. Me ha enamorado en muchos sentidos.

¿Leeré más de este autor? Sí.

Es un libro muy violento, muy explícito con el gore y otras violencias más verbales, así que por favor revisad los trigger warnings. Aún así, no sólo lo recomiendo, sino que necesito que lo leáis porque TENGO QUE HABLAR DE ÉL.

This book hits hard. It’s a dark and queer YA fantasy/horror and one of the most original books I read recently. It’s rather challenging, as touching on religion, fanatism, and transphobia and is filled with violence, gore, and body horror. I would encourage readers to check the content warnings for this one, as it may not be for everyone.

What I liked about this book was that, in this horrible post-apocalyptic background, we were given the story of a teenager who just wants to decide how to live, love, and die. The focus is on the characters’ feelings rather than the action, making it emotional at times. It was also absolutely fascinating to see Benji change under the influence of the virus injected by his cult, the way it altered his mind and body, the way he attempted to resist it. This aspect of the novel was more scary to me than all the monsters that inhabit the pages.

To sum up, it’s a story about human resilience in a brutal dystopian world.

If Andrew Joseph White writes it, I will rate it 5 stars, and this is no exception. A religious horror set in a dystopian world, Hell Followed with Us kept me on my toes the entire read-through. Benji escapes a cult that wants to use him as a weapon, only to find himself among the queer teens' rebellious group. Wanting to help them, Benji is on a clock, one which will end his life, and potentially those around him.

Andrew Joseph White always manages to craft such rich immersive worlds, no matter the period or storyline, along with a complex group of characters. Every line is thoughtful and serves a purpose, so many of which resonated with me on a personal level.

A fun concept and one of the best and most realistic trans characters I have read in a long time. I enjoyed the setting and found the christian apocalypse really fun, however I wish the ending had been more concrete. The teens win, but there is no details about how the survive after and I was under the impression the main character was almost dead after his transformation. Does he die or is he forced to live the rest of his life as a 'monster'? Maybe that was intentional but it felt like it fell a little flat to me.

I recommend this book to every queer person (especially trans) i know and they always absolutely love it. This book will forever be one of my favourites, I never thought a horror book could be a comfort read but the characters in this book are so loveable.

This was also one of the first books with autism representation that really felt like Me and I will forever be grateful for that!

I cannot wait to read everything Andrew Joseph White ever writes

arc review | hell followed with us
3 ⭐️
~
“What's going on in my head? What do I believe? How much of it is me, and how much of it was put there?”
— Andrew Joseph White, Hell Followed With Us
~
Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world’s population. Cornered by monsters born from the destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC’s leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji’s darkest secret: the cult’s bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all.
~
I have been really struggling with how to review this book. Religious horror with queer representation? 10/10. I absolutely adored the diversity of characters. And the grotesque imagery, religious allegories, and overall plot? Absolutely AMAZING. I was hooked from the very beginning.
~
Unfortunately, the world building and characters just fell quite flat for me. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely applaud the author’s diversity of characters. But, personally, I think there were just too many. At times, it was hard to remember who was who with how quickly they were all introduced one after the other. And if you asked me ANYTHING about the characters other than their gender identity, sexual orientation or their pronouns, I could not tell you. Aside from maybe Benji and Nick, the characters had no depth. I would have preferred a smaller number of characters so we, as the reader, can form a deeper connection with them. Or at the very least, introduce them at different times so that they don’t all blur together.
~
I genuinely believe this book had the potential to be one of my all time favourites. But the lack of detailed world building really hindered the reading experience as I didn’t understand what had happened to give this religious cult so much power, and what ‘The Flood’ actually referred to.
~
For a debut novel, it was really impressive. I loved the exploration of Benji’s descent into madness, the queer representation, the autism representation, the rage, and the religious criticisms. Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book. It has some dark themes, so I recommend checking any trigger and content warnings before reading it.

One of the most striking aspects of Hell Followed With Us is the raw and unflinching portrayal of trauma, resilience and the search for acceptance. White does not shy away from depicting the acts, effects and consequences of religious fanaticism, body horror and the struggles of living as a transgender person in a world that refuses to accept what is only natural. This novel is both a metaphorical and literal battle of Benji’s journey where he struggles with his sense of self and a religion that was imposed on him.

I’m a big fan of the dystopian world White created - although it’s not usually a genre i tend to pick up a lot. The world-building is nonetheless extremely impressive and in it is despited the Angels’ twisted ideology and a suffocating atmosphere that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The characters in Hell Followed With Us felt extremely real, complex and multifaceted. Benji is a very compelling main character and his gory and monstrous transformation highlighted the metaphor of the changes forced upon him by the cult and society. Not only that but it underlines how strong of a character he is, withstanding betrayal, heartbreak, death and the inner struggles of his heart.

This novel is definitely not for the weak of heart - if not for the gory descriptions, for the tears that the reader will, undoubtedly, shed. White offers a cathartic and empowering narrative, especially for those who can see themselves reflected in Benji’s character and/or struggles. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community this novel warmed and broke my heart in more ways than i was prepared for.

The ALC is an LGBTQ+ centre for teens that becomes a hub for people to try and fight back/survive against a religious doomsday cult that have turned people into actual monsters in order to push their agenda. The climate of the world is destroyed and there is very limited access to food and water. Benji is a trans teenager whose mother is the head of the Uber religious nutball squad. This book is a mix of dystopian futuristic hellscape and young trans/people trying to exist when extreme transphobia is rife. It’s such a strange mix-up of a book. There is a lot of religious references and repeated questions of Gods benevolence. I think this is a book that will stay with me for a while because there is a lot to think about.

Okay.. I knew barely anything about this book going into it.. and to be honest, I don’t know much more after reading it! 😂

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I just wished we had more!!! How did the flood start? What does it mean? How does it affect everyone? What is the Seraph’s true purpose?!

I really enjoyed getting into the nitty gritty of these characters and watching them grow and insert themselves more. I loved the set up and the themes throughout.

I will say it is gorier than I expected it to be 😅 and at points I gasped/ ‘ewwwww’ed out loud 😂 but I’ve not really read any horror books so that was probably just me being a wuss 😂

Definitely excited to read more of Andrew’s work though!!

I've wanted to read this book so so much for so so long and it didn't disappoint me!!! The only reason this wasn't a 5* is because vomit is one of the mu big triggers but it won't bother a lot of people

Overall this is an incredibly intense, unique horror YA, that sometimes suffers from pacing issues. Hell Followed With Us is like nothing else I've read before, and for that I implore others to read it. It is an unapologietically queer, young adult, horror focusing on Benji, a young trans boy, who is desperately trying to escape the religious cult who raised him. At no point did I know how this story was going to end, and the graphic gore and religous trauma made it incredibly engaging read most of the time. Occasionally there was parts of the story that suffered from overly repeated phrases and ideas, that felt like it slowed down the pacing slightly.
Overall, I highly recommend.

5 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for letting me get a digital copy of Hell Followed With Us in exchange for my honest review! 🖤

AJW has done it again! I read Compound Fracture earlier this year and it became an instant favourite and this novel is no different. AJW just has an incredible way of gripping you steadfastly into his worlds and to his characters, all of which are grounded in reality even when the story is one of fantasy. Although, in saying that, this one in particular felt almost too real for comfort. The Angels of HFWU reminded me a lot of the Guilty Remnants from The Leftovers — an arrogant cult who believed that other people’s lives were theirs (or their god’s) to ruin. That aspect of the book was the most horrific because it was the most believable. Terrifying, truly.

This is most definitely a post-Covid19 novel, with its own plague laying waste to the vulnerable and innocent and leaving behind shattered communities, only to an obviously much more devastating extent. But it is the communities we are part of that help rebuild and reshape our view of the new world we live in. Without community we’re just alone, and no one wants to be alone at the end of the world.

My favourite element of this novel (and something that seems to be pretty prominent in AJW’s works) was the body horror. Some of the descriptions of the Graces and Benji’s Seraph body were so grotesque they circled right back around to being beautiful. Reading about Benji’s transformation was an experience, to say the least, and so vividly described. Love love loved it.

I can’t wait to read the remainder of AJW’s works; it’s very clear to me that he’s become an all-time favourite author of mine. I’m so, so excited to see what else he can do.

It's beautiful. It's heart wretching, disgusting, but absolutely beautiful.
Benji is a trans boy who wants to flee new Nazareth with his father. But his father dies and it seems to all go wrong when he gets help from a group of teenagers (ALC). They give him shelter and Benji, after a while, allows himself to call it home. But of course the Angels from New Nazareth have to come and ruin it. Which stirs up his desire to ruin new Nazareth.
Whilst turning into a seraphim, Benji finds love and family in the ALC, unraveling the brainwashing the angels did.
I absolutely loved this book, just like I loved Compound Fracture from A.J. White. I'm thankful I got to read this.

This book was an absolute RIDE. I’m here for queer rage forever. Definitely read the author’s note before diving in!
This is one of the most visceral horror books I’ve read in a long time and I loved every second of it.

I haven't read a decent dystopian in quite a while but Hell Followed with Us has just ended that poor streak. This is novel that just blasts at you straight from the start and doesn't stop testing your heart till the last page. Benji is trans and trapped in an evangelical fascist cult in the US who have decided to create a virus known as 'the flood' to bring about the end of days. Benji is on his way to escape them when he finds himself with Nick in the ALC, a community of LGBTQ+ teens who got together before judgement day and are doing what they can to help. This novel is oozing with gore and drool and doesn't shy away from horror. It explores the myriad of emotions and issues around being both gay and trans and I really liked how it held a scutinising torch up to the community. This is a novel that explores so many themes in a fresh way. I was as angry as Benji was with how the fanatics treated him and loved the allegory of how he was made to feel that he was a monster. I don't usually like horror, but this book needed the gore and the angst to make it what it is. I adored the characters, my favourite was Nick but Theo was such a well worked character. who I still have so many conflicting thoughts about even when the book has finished. There were a few moments where I found myself confused and wasn't sure what was happening, but they were fleeting and didn't spoil the narrative for me. I haven't heard of Andrew before, but I'm going to read some of his other works now. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review. 4.5 Stars from me!

Super exciting and super gory— a lot more gore than I was expecting from a YA novel! That’s not a criticism; Hell Follows With Us is at its best when leaning into its apocalyptic imagery. I loved the concept of this dystopian world, destroyed by a religious cult who want to bring about Judgement Day. The protagonist, Benji, and the ragtag group of queer teens he allies with are all great characters with interesting dynamics.
Occasionally there were parts that to me felt a bit out of place in an apocalyptic story but they didn’t detract from the whole for me. This is an unrelenting story of anger, identity and self-affirmation that has one of the most unusual happy endings I’ve ever encountered. It’s a great time! Definitely recommended for any horror-loving YA readers who like an action-packed adventure.
Thanks to NetGalley for the proof copy.

As someone who grew up LGBT+ in the church, this book was brilliant. A gory, violent, dystopian look at religion and identity. Andrew Joseph White manages to excellently explore ideas of guilt, trauma bonds and cultural vs personal faith. The representation of religious dogma felt uncannily close to some we see nowadays in the real world.

A hard-hitting and visceral read.

Benji, a trans teenage boy, is manipulated by his mother, boyfriend and the cult of radical Evangelicals Christians that have managed to eradicate most of the population on Earth through a virus known as the 'Flood' and attempt to turn Benji into their 'Seraph', a conduit for spreading the virus further.
We follow Benji's escape from the cult and his journey of self-discovery as, even among the post-apocalyptic ruins of his city, it's the most freedom he's ever had.

Learning about love, life and personal freedom through Benji's and the ALC/The Watch's eyes and experiences, is heartbreaking and all too familiar. White's characterisation of the teens attempting to fight for their survival and the depiction of the radical cult, are exceptional in their accuracy.

This was a horror story in a number of expected ways - the gore, the violence - but it's the cruelty that others are willing to show and enact that forms the truly horrific. You can feel the fury - it's palpable through Benji's voice, actions and ultimately, his hope for a better world.
I do think this is a cautionary tale - of extremism, of bigotry - but it should also serve as a warning to those who continually attack our vulnerable youth, they will grow claws and they will fight back.

This was a DNF for me, it just wasn’t capturing me the way a book should. Great premise though. I did really love the way the author made us picture things though!